I got Sherri’s celery all canned up and can just taste cream of celery soup, celery in poultry dressing, celery in stews. Yum!
Yesterday was a tomato day as I had four crates and a couple of buckets and baskets full of tomatoes we picked ahead of the freeze.
I did diced tomatoes (without skins) first. Then, while they were processing in the water bath canner, I got busy and cut up a roasting pan full to roast in the oven. I love doing this to make my tomato sauce quickly and with extra savory flavor. It separates the tomatoes, which still have skins and seeds, from the broth. That way, when I dip out the tomatoes, leaving the broth, the sauce, processed in my blender with some garlic, is already thick, with no cooking down needed. Then I can the broth, which is different from tomato juice as it’s primarily clear. I use that as a soup base and it’s very good that way!
I went out during my break and fed our wild turkeys, which are starting to hang around. They’re from our old wild hen’s breeding with our domestic tom. Some are greyish, as the tom was a Slate Gray. There is a large flock. We’ve counted about 24 of them. The bad winter we had three years ago killed off a whole lot of deer and wild turkeys. So, we are feeding them, trying to lure them closer to the buildings for winter feeding. It’s exciting to have turkeys back after being gone so long!
On Monday, I went out to the Wolf Garden and picked two rows of our Seneca Round Nose flour corn. There were some of the longest cobs we’d ever grown! This was despite our crazy weather that drowned out several other corn patches. I love it to grind for cornmeal, and we also sneak a few “green” cobs to roast for corn on the cob. It has very big kernels, so you sure get your money’s worth there. Yesterday, Will went out and picked the rest of the patch. Now we have crates of corn to be husked and roped up in the house. Not only are the ropes of corn beautiful, hanging there, but are a sign of bounty. We’re so grateful!
— Jackie
Lucky you with all the tomatoes. Mine were a big flop this year so have been buying the cans of salt free tomatoes at the store so I can make the salsa we like. We’re a small family so I’ll get enough cans to make do. Hope you get a break soon and can watch those turkeys.
Jackie- how long do you roast the tomatoes as we want to try this method next year?
Rain is here and very needed. It also gives us time to watch our youngest grandchild now 7 months old. He’s learning “a lot”. With an infant you have to slow down to their “rhythm”. Projects go on hold. I’m not sure what he weighs but he’s a squirmer and hard on our old backs. It’s fun to see his look of amazement as he interacts with this world. We should all be so happy. He gets food, shelter, warmth and love. My thoughts go out to those children who aren’t so fortunate.
Wow! How productive you are even with the rain. I cooked my tomatos whole, ran them through my old fashioned‘applesauce’ strainer. Saving the liquid to can as base for soups .Fresh Salsa the skins and seeds. Pulp makes the Best sauce for canning. Your Seneca corn looks great for fresh eating and cornmeal. Finally getting some cold nights. So covered the paste tomato plants and harvest the cabbage s .last of cucumbers.Garden is basically put to bed for the season Even got all my garlic in. Still have tomatoes to sauce . Enjoy the rainy weather- inside and steaming with the canning.